Present conventional dental practice in the United States often involves the application of a viscous solution containing a topical anesthetic such as Benzocaine or the like to intra-oral soft tissues, to numb the target area prior to the needled insertion of a local anesthetic.
The dentist or other clinician applies the topical anesthetic with a cotton swab for 1-2 minutes to the soft tissue area where the dental injection will be inserted. The topical anesthetic deadens the perception of pain in the area where it was introduced.
Unfortunately, the anesthetic also may be spread by the patients tongue, resulting in an unpleasant taste and loss of sensation/control of the tongue and inadvertent numbing of other areas of the mouth; further, the anesthetic may be swallowed. In addition, the topical anesthetic takes time to work, and may not always be effective in sufficiently deadening the pain.
There therefore exists a need in the dental area for a means for deadening the sensation of a needle being introduced into the intra-oral tissues of a patient which does not require medication, which may be applied quickly and effectively, and in a safe, sterile and inexpensive manner.